Through the use of the OPTAx test system, analysis of combined motion and performance data provides an excellent method for distinguishing between normal children and those with attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children with anxiety disorder present with many of the same symptoms as those with ADHD. The OPTAx system, like other computer test systems, has difficulty in making a differential diagnosis between ADHD and anxiety disorder.
We have invented a method for enhancing the differential diagnosis of ADHD versus anxiety disorder in a human patient undergoing testing for ADHD; the method involves, simultaneously with the conducting of ADHD testing, detecting and analyzing the heartbeat pattern in the subject. Increased sympathetic activity and/or decreased parasympathetic activity indicates a differential diagnosis of anxiety disorder.
The method of the invention allows the differentiation of anxiety disorders and attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder, which is important so that the subject is not misdiagnosed. Treatment protocols for these conditions are different, and so it is crucial that the subject be accurately diagnosed for his or her specific condition.